A herb for every corner: what to grow where

After reviewing The Urban Kitchen GardenerI’ve gone herb-crazy. The wonderful thing about herbs – besides the flavours – is that they’re usually small, hardy plants that easy for gardeners with even the smallest space and resources to grow. And growing herbs not only provides you with beautiful greenery, it saves you money – a pack of fresh herbs is pushing a pound in most supermarkets.

The good news is, there’s a herb for every spot in your flat. Just check out our handy location guide and get growing…

Basil and coriander can be grown in the same pot (and they taste good together, too!) on your kitchen windowsill. They like lots of light and are very, very thirsty so keep them well watered from the kitchen tap.

Most balconies, believe it or not, are full of shady spots. Luckily these are perfect for mint which doesn’t like direct sunlight. Mint can also withstand the wind and loves the rain so it will flourish even if your balcony is taking a battering in these storms. And lastly, mint is one of those plants which actually works best in a pot – it grows as rampantly as a weed otherwise.

A mediterrenean herb like rosemary doesn’t need too much water and can grow in pretty tough conditions. It does, however, like a bit of sun and warmth so plant it in a pot up against a wall that gets lots of light – the wall will continue to release heat even after the sun’s gone down.

If you’re super short of space, why not grow vertically? Taller herbs like dill grow upright and using just a bit of wire or some bamboo sticks you can train them to trail up your balcony or garden fence